What Is the Size of a One-Carat Diamond Ring on the Hand?

When it comes to diamond rings, one carat is among the most popular weights chosen for the center stone. To many people, however, this is just a number, and they don’t really know how large such a diamond looks.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Let’s take a closer look at the actual size of a one-carat diamond and see how big it looks when put on the hand, in a ring’s setting.

Diagram showing the approximate actual size of a ring with a 0.75-1.00-carat diamond

How Big Is a One-Carat Diamond?

Carat is a measure of weight, and one carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams.

Diamond Shape and Its Impact on Size

Some diamond shapes tend to look bigger than others, even if they are of the same carat weight.

If you want to create the illusion of size, look for shapes that are wider as opposed to ones that are long and thin. For example, a square Asscher-cut stone will look bigger than a narrow marquise-cut diamond.

When it comes to the appearance of size, shape doesn’t tell the whole story, however.

Sometimes, the way a diamond is cut can make it look smaller even though its shape looks wide and square. This is why you have to also consider the importance of cut.

Cut as a Factor in Diamond Size

The way a diamond is cut can greatly affect how big it looks. In general, cuts that are designed so that they are deeper tend to look smaller compared with shallower cuts, assuming the stones being compared have the same carat weight.

For example, the princess cut has more depth compared with the emerald cut.

In general, if you want a diamond whose surface looks larger when set in a ring, look for stones that are cut shallow.

Don’t forget, however, that each cut has certain ideal proportions, and if the depth of the diamond you buy deviates dramatically from the standard for the particular cut, the brilliance of the stone may be diminished.

This is particularly true of brilliant cuts such as the round cut.

Diamond Size and the Size of the Fingers

Finally, don’t forget to consider the hand of the wearer when selecting size for a diamond in a ring.

Wider fingers can make a diamond look smaller than it would appear if put on a hand with slimmer fingers.

Also, consider the fact that more elongated diamond shapes make the fingers look longer, while wider shapes accentuate the width of the hand.

Where to Buy a Diamond Ring?

We recommend James Allen (read review) because you can take a 360-degree look at any stone before having it set in a ring.